Preliminary Programme

The paper presents results of a study of contacts between Soviet/Russian intelligentsia and their Spanish counterparts. Besdes its main objective it gives a comparative study of the role of intelligentsia/intellectuals in both countris. It highlights major features of a historical image of Russia and its transformation in the 20th century. Perception of Russia and Spain is analysed from a pointview of cultural interactions and contacts between individual intellectuals and various public organizations of both countries. (Show less)

The paper is based on results of two years research in Russian and British archives and a series of oral interviews from witnesses of cultural and tourist exchanges with Soviet Union in the end of 1950s- beginning of 1960-s. The task was to analyze and estimate the long abandoned beyond ideological and military confrontation of the cold war period initiatives, which grew not from the top, but from the bottom – i.e. non-governmental, unofficial contacts and initiatives which flourished during the short period of “Indian summer” in Soviet-British relations of 1956-1963. The aim was to show a level of correlation between the “high politics” and “public diplomacy”. (Show less)

The Russian foreign diplomatic corps was transformed into the informal organization- The Council of Ambassadors because of a refusal of cooperation within the new power created in Petrograd in October, 1917. Throughout the period of civil war in Russia it represented interests of all the Antibolshevist country governments. After its termination, having lost the last signs of the state structure and having passed to public organization position, it continued to protect the interests of emigration over 20 years. Possessing highly professional staff with a profound sense of responsibility to the fatherland this organization has achieved amazing results.

Before the XX history had known not only mass economic but also political emigration, but it was never possible to create a centralized network of representations in the different countries.

In 1920 the Council of Ambassadors had developed measures to protect the interests of Russian emigrant colonies in the case of a country being recognised by the Soviet Union. It gathered Russian money and resources remaining abroad and deployed them to the centralized help of refugees.

The goal of the Council of the Ambasadors was to initiate and participate in the Russian question of the League of Nations, with the assistance of other Russian public organizations. The issue included numerous components, especially the movement of refugees from places where they had been concentrated, and the problem of their legal status of the persons who had not recognized the new power in their homeland . Thanks to the vigorous activity of Russian public forces it was possible to avoid extreme solutions of repatriation or transfers to Latin America. Active participation by lawyers of the Council of Ambassadors began and subsequently there emerged Nansen¨s Certificate.

The possibilities of ¨public diplomats participating in the sphere of international relations were more modest. Nevertheless, the Council of Ambassadors sent observers to large international conferences, and conducted active propaganda campaign in the press, at personal meetings with members of the government, and at specially organized meetings with the public. On the one hand the Council pursued a policy of Anti-Soviet exposing activity, on the other hand it protected the interests of the USSR as state territory. Finally, during the Second World War, this latter way led to representatives of the Council off Russian Ambassadors cooperating with Soviet diplomacy in protecting their native land from a common enemy. (Show less)

The paper is based on sources from Russian and US archives and libraries, as well as on interviews with American peace movement participants’ members of families. The paper describes the role of US non-governmental organizations in formation and development of American foreign policy in 1920s. It shows and estimates the level of influence of NGOs on the US Department of State and the importance of their participation in the promotion of American foreign policy. The paper argues, that despite the decline of international activism in the years of Prosperity the role of public diplomacy significantly grew. (Show less)